804 FLORA OF TEXAS. 



length smooth on both sides ; flotuers greenish ; drupes 

 ovoid, red. Oak woods, common. — A small tree; tvood 

 hard and close-grained ; leaves of the involucre emargin- 

 ate and tliickenedat the summit, showy. 



NYSSA, L. Sour Gum. 



Flowers dioecio-polygamous ; sterile floioers in many- 

 flowered heads or cymes; calyx 5-parted; stamens 5-10; 

 2:fetals and pistil none ; fertile jioicers single or few in a 

 head; c<i5?_y.r-limb 5-toothed or obsolete; ^je/«?5 5, minute, 

 or wanting; 5/ame;is 5-10, mostly sterile; 5^^/e long, revo- 

 lute ; stigma decurrent ; ovary 1-celled ; drupe 1-seeded. — 

 Trees or shrubs; leaves alternate, entire or rarely toothed, 

 finely reticulated. Flowers small, greenish, on axillary or 

 lateral peduncles. 



* sterile flowers in loose clusters. 



N. MULTiFLORA, Wang. Leaves oval or obovate, mostly 

 acute, tomentose when young, at length shining above; 

 fertile ^^^duncles long and slender, 3-8-flowered; drupes 

 ovoid, dark blue. Eich npland woods. — A tree 30°-50° 

 high, with widely spreading branches; leaves rather thick, 

 dark green, 2-5' long; fertile peduncles lJ'-3' long; 

 drupe y long, 



N. AQUATIC A, L. Brandies, leaves, etc., tomentose when 

 young, at length nearly smooth; leaves short -peti- 

 oled, varying from lanceolate to orbicular, obtuse, some- 

 times slightly cordate; peduncles short, the fertile ones 

 1-2-flowered ; drupes oval, blue. Ponds and swamps. — A 

 large tree, or in pine-barren swamps sometimes a mere 

 shrub; leaves 1-2' long; peduncles |'-1' long; drupe 

 smaller than in the last. 



N. uxiFLORA, Walt. Leaves large, long-petioled, ovate 

 or oblong, acute, entire or sharply toothed, tomentose be- 



